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Brief vs. Comprehensive Descriptions in Measuring Intentions to Purchase

Author

Listed:
  • JS Armstrong

    (The Wharton School)

  • Terry Overton

Abstract

In forecasting demand for expensive consumer goods, direct questioning of potential consumers about their future purchasing plans has had considerable predictive success [1, 2, 4]. Any attempt to apply such 'intention to purchase' methods to forecast demand for proposed products or services must determine some way to convey product information to the potential consumer [3]. Indeed, all the prospective consumer knows about the product or service is what he may infer from the information given to him by the researcher. This paper presents a study of the effect upon intention to purchase of this seemingly crucial element—the extent and type of description of the new service. How extensive must the description of the new service be in order to measure intention to purchase?

Suggested Citation

  • JS Armstrong & Terry Overton, 2005. "Brief vs. Comprehensive Descriptions in Measuring Intentions to Purchase," General Economics and Teaching 0502032, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpgt:0502032
    Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James Tobin, 1957. "On the Predictive Value of Consumer Intentions and Attitudes," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 41, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    2. F. Thomas Juster, 1966. "Consumer Buying Intentions and Purchase Probability: An Experiment in Survey Design," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number just66-2, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Handan ÇAM, 2016. "The Role of Information Technology in Patient Satisfaction," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 91-102, March.
    2. Green, Kesten C. & Armstrong, J. Scott, 2015. "Simple versus complex forecasting: The evidence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(8), pages 1678-1685.
    3. Armstrong, J. Scott & Brodie, Roderick J., 1999. "Forecasting for Marketing," MPRA Paper 81690, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Haiyang Li & Jun Li, 2009. "Top management team conflict and entrepreneurial strategy making in China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 263-283, June.
    5. Pornpitakpan, Chanthika & Han, Jie Hui, 2013. "The effect of culture and salespersons’ retail service quality on impulse buying," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 85-93.
    6. Kannan Srikanth & Anand Nandkumar & Deepa Mani & Prashant Kale, 2020. "How Firms Build Isolating Mechanisms for Knowledge: A Study in Offshore Research and Development Captives," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(2), pages 98-116, June.
    7. Armstrong, J. Scott, 1975. "Monetary incentives in mail surveys," MPRA Paper 81695, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Chenli Meng & Yuhui Ge & Eugene Abrokwah, 2020. "Developing Sustainable Decision Performance for Science and Technology Industries in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-16, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    forecasting; purchase intentions;

    JEL classification:

    • A - General Economics and Teaching

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